1. Get your warm-up in before you start lifting.

It doesn’t have to be too long. Do 3-5 rounds of some dynamic warm-up drills and then hit the iron. This will prep you for your lifts, bring your core temp up, prevent injury, warm-up your joints, and get your mind ready for your training session.

2. Track your workouts!

So that you can see how you’re doing – see your progress – what weights you’re using over time. How will you know how much to try the following week if you can’t remember what you did last week for your deadlift?!

3. The basics are so important; they’re the foundation and should take priority in your training sessions.

I’m still doing them to this day, and I have been lifting over 10 years.

You should be Squatting, Hinging, Bridging/Thrusting (Hip Thrusts), Lunging, Pushing and Pulling in the vertical and horizontal planes, and carrying.

I’m not standing on Bosu balls or doing complicated exercises. That stuff is for the birds.

I know it looks fun, but it’s not building muscle or building strength!

4. Progressive Overload

You must progress – you must do more overtime or stay right where you are. If you want to get stronger and gain muscle, you gotta add more load, more reps, or more sets, or increase your training frequency, etc.! To name a few.

5. Use good form!

Enough said. Do your exercises with a full range of motion – safely and correctly, or only go to a depth that is safe for your fitness level!

If you can’t check your ego and lower the weight, earn the increased weight; don’t jump up too quickly. You’ll get there!

6. Stop program hopping and doing random workouts.

There is a time and place for a random workout, but if you have goals or wanting to achieve performance goals of some sort, then you have to stay the course. Otherwise, you won’t see the fruits of your lifting!

Random workouts = Random Results << remember that when you’re wondering why you aren’t stronger or seeing any progress in your lifts!

7. More doesn’t mean better. 

Chasing sweat and soreness is NOT a smart way to approach or measure your progress or whether not it was a good workout. Train smarter, not harder. Chase performance, NOT Fatigue!

Whelp, how are you doing with these?! Are you crushing it or not progressing – and progressing isn’t just adding weight to bar.

If you need some help in building out a Strength Training Program, check out my monthly online STRONGER Way Strength Training Program here!